BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

UNIVERSITI Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) is a genuine Islamic higher education institute that complies with the nation’s aspirations while offering courses in line with the times, said its acting rector yesterday.

“UNISSA continuously defends the traditions of Islamic knowledge, but we are not static (in our teaching), we also consider the advances of time,” said Pg Anak Dr Hj Amiruddin Alam Shah Pg Anak Hj Ismail.

The acting rector said this in his speech at the inauguration of the university’s Open Day.

According to the acting rector, the university’s staff comprises those with a local academic background, as well as those from overseas institutions such as University Al-Azhar and Dar Al Uloom University in the Middle East, in addition to Malaysia and Indonesia.

“The local academics and administrators work together as they see the development of our students to be correlated to the development of the country… The county’s future is at stake so the nation’s youth must be educated as best possible,” said Pg Anak Dr Hj Amiruddin Alam Shah.

Currently, UNISSA’s student population consists of not only those from Brunei and neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, but also those from Central Asia, Africa and Europe. The presence of international students encourages local students to expand their view and knowledge, added the acting rector.

Local students who excel are also given the opportunity to join year abroad programmes in Egypt, Jordan, the United Kingdom and many others, he said.

According to the university, the open day aims to promote the academic programmes offered by the university, while giving prospective students an opportunity to interact with faculty members to discuss course details.

In addition, the open day is designed to interest students in courses offered at the university that they may not have considered.

Currently, UNISSA offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses in Arabic and English, as well as diploma programmes.

Targeted mainly at students who have completed their Higher Brunei Religious Studies Certificate (STPUB) and A-levels, the event is also open to undergraduates and officers in the government and private sectors interested in pursuing higher education studies.

For more information on the programmes offered, members of the public and prospective students can attend UNISSA’s open day today from 8.30am to 4.30pm in the university’s auditorium.

The Brunei Times